Pollution

Although the connection may seem obvious, researchers in Pennsylvania are hoping to definitively prove the link between levels of airborne pollutants and severe cases of asthma, reports CBS News.

Scientists at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh are seeking participants for a new study into how levels of air pollution affect the severity of asthma symptoms. Doctors also hope to determine whether seasonal temperatures play a significant role in asthma attacks.

"We're at a time of the year where there's increased levels of air pollution," Deborah Gentile with Allegheny General's Asthma and Immunology Department, told the news source. "We're looking to see in the study if increases in air pollution are triggering asthma attacks that cause patients to go to the ER."

According to Medical Daily, a separate study has drawn strong conclusions that exposure to increased levels of airborne pollutants can have a direct impact on a child's likelihood of developing asthma.

Individuals who are concerned about air pollution and its effects on respiratory conditions may want to invest in an IQAir GC MultiGas medical-grade air filtration system to ensure the air quality in their home is as good as it possibly can be.

Most people know that air pollution is bad for their health, but a new research paper suggests the impact of air pollution is far worse than initially thought. According to the BBC, air pollution is a significant factor in as many as 2.5 million deaths per year.

The study, which appeared in the Environmental Research Letters journal, revealed that airborne pollutants cause approximately 2.1 million deaths annually, with unsafe levels of ozone accounting for an additional 400,000 fatalities every year.

"Epidemiological studies have shown that ozone and PM2.5 (particulates with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns - about 30 times thinner than the width of a human hair) have significant influences on human health, including premature mortality," read a statement by the paper's authors, as quoted by the news source.

According to LiveScience, the study includes data from several climate models, including those from Southeast Asia, to draw a more definitive connection between air pollution and global mortality rates. Researchers believe a majority of the deaths caused by poor air quality occur in Asia, due to this region's large population and high levels of airborne pollutants.

Individuals who are concerned about air pollution and their health may want to invest in an IQAir GC MultiGas medical-grade air filtration system to protect themselves and their family from the harmful effects of air pollution.

Scientists have long known of the correlation between increased levels of airborne pollutants and serious diseases, but a comprehensive new study has revealed the extent to which air pollution and chronic conditions like heart disease and lung cancer are connected. According to The Guardian, emissions from traffic and industry have a direct impact on the incidence of lung cancer and other potentially fatal diseases.

Researchers collated data from 17 separate studies in nine European countries to arrive at their conclusions. Key findings of the research paper, which was published in British medical journal The Lancet, indicated that long-term exposure to nitrogen oxides and particulate matter substantially increased the number of cases of lung cancer reported in the population.

In addition, the risk of developing lung cancer rose by 18 percent for every 5 microgram-per-meter rise in particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, and 22 percent for airborne pollutants with a diameter of 10 micrometers.

According to CBS News, even moderate exposure to low levels of air pollution can have a significant impact on an person's likelihood of developing lung cancer. As a result, concerned individuals may want to invest in an IQAir GC MultiGas medical-grade air filtration system to reduce levels of particulate matter in their home.

Many residents of Colorado have praised the state's decision to expand its oil and gas production operations, as these energy facilities create thousands of jobs and contribute to the economy. However, according to the Denver Post, these industries could also be responsible for worsening air quality in the Centennial State.

Emissions from the state's oil and gas production facilities are now the main source of volatile environmental chemicals in Colorado, and produce more than 600 tons of airborne contaminants per day, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In addition, these facilities are the third-largest contributor of nitrogen oxides in the state. Prior to the expansion of the oil and gas industries in Colorado, many parts of the Denver metropolitan area were already in danger of failing to meet federal clean air standards.

According to The Associated Press, the state health department is considering amending current regulations to ensure the health of Colorado residents. These measures include the strengthening of emissions controls for storage tanks and the expansion of existing pollution control requirements.

Individuals who live in close proximity to oil and gas production facilities may want to invest in an IQAir GC MultiGas air filtration unit to ensure their family's health is not adversely affected by airborne pollutants.

Across the nation, millions of Americans celebrated the country's birth earlier this week during the Independence Day festivities. While the tempting aroma of barbecues could be smelled in countless neighborhoods from coast to coast, another staple of the Fourth of July could have an adverse effect on people's health: fireworks. According to the Courier-Journal, the holiday revelry in Louisville, Kentucky, caused air pollution levels to increase sharply.

The Courier-Journal's environmental correspondent James Bruggers wrote that last year, atmospheric monitoring devices around Louisville registered soot levels that reached up to 90 micrograms per cubic meter. Although these figures do not quite exceed the city's legal limits for particulate pollution, they still represent a significant risk to human health, particularly for individuals with respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Bruggers' comments were echoed by health officials in California's San Joaquin Valley. According to The Business Journal, experts at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District warned residents that fireworks can raise the amount of particulate matter in the air to dangerous levels, and advised revelers to exercise restraint during the holiday.

Individuals who are particularly sensitive to airborne pollutants may want to consider investing in an IQAir GC MultiGas medical-grade air filtration system to protect themselves and their families from particulate matter in the air.

Lung cancer can be caused by various issues ranging from smoking and family history to diet and drinking habits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. While smoking is typically highlighted as one of the main risk factors of the disease, a new study finds air pollution could also contribute to its development.

The trials, conducted by scientists from Oregon State University and published in the journal Environmental Science and Toxicology, found that high emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be tied to lung cancer deaths in places like the U.S., Canada, France and Germany. PAHs are a group of more than 100 chemicals like those that are released from vehicle exhaust and burning wood.

Researchers discovered this after reviewing a wide range of information from 136 countries. Data they looked at included residents' average body mass, price of cigarettes, smoking rates and the amount of PAHs found in the air. From this information, scientists calculated the measure of health and pollution and how it related to lung cancer deaths in each nation. Overall, they were able to find a correlation between high PAHs and an increase in lung cancer rates, while smoking was still an obvious link as well.

Those worried about lung cancer or other medial issues they could develop due to living in high air pollution regions could invest in a professional-grade air purifier like the IQAir GC MultiGas to breathe better at home.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. While lifestyle choices such as smoking or eating high-fat foods can trigger stroke or heart attacks among patients already living with heart problems, a new study finds air pollution could also spark heart trouble.

The trials, conducted by scientists from Tufts Medical Center and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, discovered that exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause people with pre-existing heart problems to be prone to the development of irregular heartbeats, which can trigger more serious heart-related issues. Researchers reviewed the heartbeats of 176 patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), which record the heart's rhythm, among other things, and compared their heartbeats to where they live.

Overall, scientists noticed the rate of patients' heartbeats greatly varied by the amount of air pollution they were exposed to on any given day. While there could be other reasons behind the change in heartbeats, researchers are looking closer into the idea that air pollution could be to blame.

People with heart conditions living near high-traffic areas might want to invest in an air purifier like the IQAir GC Multigas to breathe better and protect their hearts while at home.

Curbing greenhouse gas emissions is a growing need as gases like methane and carbon dioxide not only pollute the air, but also lead to unhealthy climate changes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 84 percent of all greenhouse gases around the country come from carbon dioxide, which is caused by factors like electricity and vehicles. Though changes are being made to lower this high rating, a new study published in the American Chemical Society journal has found a shocking 21 percent of homes in Sweden make up 50 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions - and the same could be true for parts of the U.S.

Scientists came to this conclusion after they studied more than 3,000 Swedish households to figure out how much greenhouse gas emissions they were responsible for. Overall, the majority of households were guilty of having major environmental footprints due to heating, lighting and cooling. Adding even more to the high pollution rates were long commutes to work. By the assessments of these homes, researchers were able to estimate just how much of a role natives play in the greenhouse emission rates, and furthermore, find making simple changes, such as switching to energy-saving light bulbs, could make a major difference.

Though rates may be a bit better in America, air pollution is still a major problem, which is why it may be beneficial for families to invest in medical-grade air purifiers like the IQAir GC Multigas to breathe better at home.

Asthma is a common issue in the U.S., and new research from the University of California, San Francisco, shows early exposure to air pollution could play a role in who goes on to develop the condition later in life. The new study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found this to be the case among a large group of minorities.

Scientists recruited and checked up on more than 3,300 Latino and 970 African American patients who were born in the U.S. From the collected data, researches noticed that for every five parts per billion increase in nitrogen dioxide exposure (NO2), a component of vehicle air pollution, in an infant's first year of life, the child had a 17 percent higher risk of developing asthma as they aged.

The American Lung Association reports asthma is among the most common chronic disorders in childhood, affecting more than 7 million kids under the age of 18. Though more research needs to be conducted to verify the recent findings, it seems there is some link between air pollution and asthma. Parents can help their youngsters breathe better by installing a professional-grade air purifier like the IQAir GC Multigas in their homes.

With a name like hellbender, it's no wonder that the largest salamanders in the Western hemisphere have survived for millions of years - evolving just enough to live when dinosaurs couldn't, according to The Nature Conservancy. Despite its once healthy hold in places like Missouri, Virginia and Arkansas, the hellbender population is rapidly declining, and many blame environmental pollution for the demise.

The salamanders, who live near fresh streams and rivers in these parts, have been dying off at faster rates in recent years and scientists are worried it's an indication of just how bad pollution levels have gotten.

"Hellbenders tell us that our streams are healthy," Kimberly Terrell, a wildlife biologist with the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "If the hellbenders start disappearing, there is probably something wrong with our streams. And most of us live downstream from hellbenders."

Terrell added that many of the problems hellbenders face people polluting the streams, while issues with air quality also threaten their existence.

Air and environmental pollution levels continue to be high around the nation, with rates expected to increase rapidly during the hotter months. Those living in high traffic areas might benefit from investing in a professional-grade air purifier like the IQAir GC MultiGas to breathe easy at home.